Overview
- Winter officially began on December 22, the National Centre of Meteorology confirmed, marking a shift to cooler temperatures and changing wind patterns.
- The NCM’s five-day bulletin on Wednesday indicates a chance of rain each day through Sunday, with islands and the Northern Emirates most likely to see showers and locally heavier bursts possible over the north.
- Humid early mornings with mist or fog are expected over internal areas, while northwesterly winds may freshen to 35–40 km/h and seas in the Arabian Gulf turn rough at times.
- Authorities remain on alert after the December 18–19 downpours that caused flooding and hail, prompted emergency SMS alerts, and generated more than 39,000 calls to Dubai Police.
- Temperatures are dipping widely by UAE standards, with 3.5°C recorded at Jebel Jais on December 20 and fresh readings near 4–8°C reported this week in mountainous and inland areas.